Packaging



N. MARCALUS Feb. 2, 1965 PACKAGING Filed Jul 1a, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet l R O T N E V W.

A/gcholas Marca [as ATTORNEY Feb. 2, 1965 N. MARCALUS 3,

' PACKAGING Filed July 18,1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 40 INVENTOR.

I Mafia/as Mama/U5 QTTORNEY United States Patent 3,167,896 PAQKAGING Nicholas Marcalus, West Englewood, NJ. (1 Market St, East Paterson, NJ.) Filed July 18, 1963, Ser. No. 295,981 Claims. (Ci. 53-35) My invention relates to packaging and more particularly to a method and means for packaging elongated tubular products.

In the packaging of tubular products, for example, rolls of gift wrapping paper, it is the practice, in many instances, to enclose the rolls in transparent containers, such as envelopes, bags, etc. in an endeavor to display to prospective users the appearance of the paper and designs thereon without the necessity of opening the con tainers to permit adequate viewing of the paper. Heretofore, so far as I am aware, the use of such transparent containers fails to clearly define and display the rolls of paper because of slack portions occurring in the containers transversely between the rolls and which slack portions are the result of loose packaging of the rolls within the containers. These slack portions, by reason of their concavities and undulations formed between the rolls, tend to produce somewhat translucent or frosted zones which serve to obscure, distort, becloud, and/or render indistinct the entire appearance of the paper, especially with respect to designs thereon, when viewed through the containers. Additionally and of importance is that when the rolls are thus encased within the containers, the resultant packages present a junky or untidy appearance thereby lessening sales appeal in many inpresent a neat and attractive package thus enhancing their appearance.

Another object of my invention is to provide a method of packaging elongated tubular products such as rolls of gift wrapping paper wherein the rolls are inserted or loaded into a loosely fitting container and are laterally shifted relative to each other to insure a taut and tensioned condition of the container about the rolls to present a neat and attractive packagevand enable the paper to be clearly displayed and sharply defined when viewed throug the container.

A further object of my invention is to provide means for treating a package of tubular products arranged in sidewise relation within a loose fitting transparent container and which means is eiiective for shifting the prod ucts within the container to create a tight fit of the container about the products to present a neat package and whereby the products may be more clearly viewed therein as compared to viewing through the container when loosely fitted about the products.

A still further object of my invention is to provide means for receiving a transparent container of loosely and laterally arranged tubular products and which means is equipped with product shifting means for relative shifting or positioning the products in a manner to tightly fit the products relative to each other and at the same time render the container taut about the products to present a neat package and whereby a clear view and sharp definition of the products may be obtained through the container.

An important object of my invention is to provide inafter appear, the invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth and illus trated in the accompanying drawings from which the several features of the invention and the advantages attained thereby will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

Referring to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views: FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a package wherein the products are disposed in their initial encased position;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of my invention in association with auxiliary devices;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3 and illustrating the initial encased position of the products;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FiGURE 3 and illustrating the final encased position of the products;

FIGURE 6 is a detail sectional view of the open end of the bag disposed in association with the air nozzle; and

FIGURE 7 is a perspective viewof the package Wherein the products are disposed in their final encased position. 7

In practicing my invention, as illustrated in the drawings, I employ a product positioning device or mechanism 5 having receiving and discharging ends 6 and 7, respectively. The device 5 is interposed between the discharge end 8. of a product delivering and encasing device or apparatus 9 and the receiving end it of a package sealing device 11.

The discharge end 8 of the apparatus 9 is equipped with a bag repository zone 12 containing a plurality of bags 13 for packaging tubular products such as rolls 14 of gift wrapping paper containing appropriate designs and/or being of various colors. The other end of the apparatus 9 is provided with a transversely arranged conveyor 15 for feeding the rolls 14 to the apparatus 9, a portion only of the conveyor being illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3. The bags 13 are each provided with a closed or sealed leading end 16 arranged adjacent the receiving end 6 of the device 5 and an open trailing end 17 disposed in proximity to the conveyor 15 between the zone 12L and the conveyor 15. The apparatus 9 is equipped with a somewhat frustum-shaped air guide 18 in which is positioned an air nozzle 19 connected to a suitable air supply. The rolls 14 may each comprise a paper web Wound about a cardboard core or the like.

As shown in FIGURE 6, the open end 17 of topmost bag is always presented to the air stream from the nozzle to eifeot opening of the bag, means not shown being employed for advancing the remaining bags upwardly as a bag is removed from the zone. When the bag is thus opened by guided thereto by the air guide 18, the operator inserts a plurality of the rolls 14, for example,

three, from the conveyor 15 into the bag and then detaches sue e-es wherein one of tr e rolls is erposcd on and midway bei tween the other rolls as clearly illustrated in the drawings. It is to be understood thatthe bags are constructed of a stable transparent plastic material, for example,

Viskiug q film super clear, which is .a non-stretchable polyethylene. The bags are of a predetermined width to effect a loose fitting about the rolls whereby slack. occurs inthe bags between the rolls as depicted in FEGURE 4. When the rolls are thus encased in a bag, the package 21 thus formed is fed by the operator to my product positioning mechanism 5.

most rolls to effect a tight fittingofihebag about the rolls as shown in FIGURE 5. inasmuch as the rolls are substantially cylindrical in cross-section and possess some inherent degree:ofilexibilitycr rcsiliency,'one or more of them may, dining the insertion of the topmost roll between the lowermostrolls, assume a somewhat out-ofround or elliptical configuration in cross-section. .l-iowever, the rolls will tend. to assumetheir cylindricity or the taut condition of the bag or container about the rolls My product or roll positioning mechanism 5 comprises v a frame having spaced sides. 22 connected together at their tops by'a plate 23 and which sides are secured to the upper ends of legs 24 fior supporting the lirame above a. floor or the like. Adiacentthe tnont. and rear ends 6 and 7, the framenhas secured thereto bearings 25 in which are.

journ-aled front-and rear shafts Z6 and 27, respectively. The shafts Zi'and 27 are equipped with rollersfid over which are trained an endless conveyor belt 29 havingtan The shaft 2? has upper run 30 overlying the plate -23. keyed thereto a sprocket Sl'dniven by a chain 32 .from a suitable source of power for rotating the rollers 28in unison through the instrurnentalityand travel of the cone veyor belt 29.

The frame is equipped with a pair of laterally disposed brackets 33 to which are connected spacedside members i The shafts 37 and 38 havefixed thereto for rotation therewith front and rear pulleys 4i and 42, respectively, with each of saidpulleysihaving spaced side flanges d3 between which are disposed an endless belt 44 trained about the pulleys and having a lower rundS as illustrated 1 in 'the drawings. The flanges 43 of the pulley dl' are of a greater diameter than the flanges of the pulley 42 for a purpose hereinaiterrnade apparent; The axis of the shaft 1 37 is disposed a greater distance above the upper rujndfi of thebelt 29 than the axis of the shaft 3% to dispose the lower run 45 of the belt in a rearwardly and downwardly various forms, and the inventioncomprehends' all con-- inclined plane relative to the substantially horizontal plane of the upper run 360i the belt 29 as clearly illustrated in PlGURE 3 of the drawings.

The hearings in which theshafts 2d and 37 are mounted may be adjustable relative to the sides 22 of the frame I and the members 34 of the unit35 for adjusting the ten- 'sion of the belts Eatland 44 by any suitable means, for

instance, threaded rods 46 to the bearings and extending through lugs 47 carried on the sides 22 and members 34 V and having threaded thereon nuts 43/ The latter areadjustable on the rods 46 and against the lugs 47 to effect shiitingiof the bearings in a desired direction.

As the package 21, as disclosed in FIGURE l,'is fed on to-ith'e upper run 5d of the belt 23$ by the operator, the

leading end of the topmost roll within the package passesv under the pulley-41 and between its flanges 43 whereby original shape as the package is advanced 'out'of'e-ngagementwith the flanges of the .pulleydz and thus maintain to present apackagehaving a neat and trimappearance and which afiords a clear inspection and definition of the polls contained therein. i V 7 When the rolls are thus positioned in the package, as shown in FIGURE 5, the package .is presented tothe re ceiving end of the package sealing device ljl'which. seals the open end of the bag by a reciprocating sealing means 56, it being understood that the sealing device is of an ordinary construction and constitutes no part of the present invent-ion per so. When the. open end of the bag has thus een sealed, the package is ready for distribution and sale.

Without further elaboration, the regoing so fully explain the invention that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt the same for use under various conditions of. service. MOIEOVfiI} it is} not indispensable that allthe features of the invention be used conjointly .since theyrnay be employed advantageouslyinvarious combinations and subcornbinations.

It is obvious that the invention-is not confined solely to the use herein disclosed in connection there-withas it may be utilized forany purpose to which his adaptable. It

is therefore to beunderst-ood that the invention is not limited to the specific construction "as illustrated and described, as the sameis onlyillustrative of the principles involved-which are capable of extended application in stmction within the scope of the appended l i What I claim is:

g 1. Product positioning-means, comprising a conveyor 3 having a dischargingend and adapted to receive a packageof rolls of paper products loosely disposed within a transparent bag and initially arranged in asubstantially triangular shaped group therein, and tracking means iounted over said conveyor and including .a pair of spaced pulleys having flangesv and an endless belt trained about said pulleys and inclined downwardly towards said discharging end, said flanges adapted to engage thebag adjacent one of said products for guiding said one product under said belt to enable said belt to cooperate with said conveyor to force said one product between a pair of the productsduring movement of the package under said belt from one end of the conveyor to the other whereby said bag is rendered taut about said products.

2. Product positioning means comprising a conveyor adapted to receive a package of cylindrical articles loosely disposed within a container and initially in a substantially pyramid shape therein, and tracking means mounted over that portion of the bag 13 encasing thetopmost roll is engaged by the lower run 45 of the belt 44. functions, in cooperation with the belt 29, to progressively force the topmost roll downwardly between the lower- The belt 44 most rollsas the package travels under the belt due to the inclination of the lower run 45thei'eof as shown in FEGURES'of-the drawings. V,

' It is to be understood that the topmost roll, as viewed in FIGURE 4, is disposed midway between the two lowermost rolls and which may be slightly spaced from each other. Therefore, when pressure is exerted on the topmost roll by the belt-d4, the two lowermost rolls will be shifted laterally from each other thus permitting the topmost roll to be progressively forced downwardly betwecnsaid lowerthe conveyor and including an endless device inclined downwardly toward one end portion of the conveyor, and meansfor guiding saidendless device includ ng-a pulley having flanges arranged to engage and bear upon the container in guided relation with the. topmost article for guiding said article under the endless device to force said topmost'article between a pair of articles during movement of the container along-the conveyor.

3. Product positioning means" comprising an elongated conveyor having a discharge end and adapted to receive thereon rolls of products loosely enclosed withina container and iwithfa larger and smaller number of said rolls being initiallyarranged in proXimous and distal relati'on-to said conveyor, respectively, and elongated tracking means mounted over said conveyor and provided with spaced lateral. guide members at opposite ends of said .a. a L- means and an endless flexible device disposed between the guide members at said ends and with said flexible device inclined downwardly toward said discharge end, said guide members having means for engaging the container adjacent said smaller numberof'rolls and guiding the latter under said flexible device to enable said flexible device to cooperate with said conveyor to force said smaller number of rolls into transverse alignment with said larger number of said rolls during movement of the container under said flexible device from one end of the conveyor to the other whereby said container is rendered taut about said rolls by said transverse alignment.

4. A method of packaging a plurality of cylindrical articles, comprising moving the articles lengthwise in a pyramid shaped assembly within a loosely fitting coning all of the articles in, said container into a common plane.

5. A method of packaging a plurality of elongated rolls ofwrapping paper comprising inserting the rolls lengthwise in a pyramid shape within a transparent bag having a circumferential area sufi'icient to receive the plurality of rolls loosely in pyramid shape and to tautly encompass the rolls when rearranged in a common plane, moving the container and articles bodily lengthwise along a path, and progressively applying downward pressure along the length of the topmost roll in the container durring movement of the rolls along said path and thereby forcing all of the rolls into a common plane.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS FRANK E. BAILEY, Primary Examiner. TRAVIS S. MCGEHEE, Examiner. 

5. A METHOD OF PACKAGING A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED ROLLS OF WRAPPING PAPER COMPRISING INSERTING THE ROLLS LENGTHWISE IN A PYRAMID SHAPE WITHIN A TRANSPARENT BAG HAVING A CIRCUMFERENTIAL AREA SUFFICIENT TO RECEIVE THE PLURALITY OF ROLLS LOOSELY IN PYRAMID SHAPE AND TO TAUTLY ENCOMPASS THE ROLLS WHEN REARRANGED IN A COMMON PLANE, MOVING THE CONTAINER AND ARTICLES BODILY LENGTHWISE ALONG A PATH, AND A PROGRESSIVELY APPLYING DOWNWARD PRESSURE ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE TOPMOST ROLL IN THE CONTAINER DURRING MOVEMENT OF THE ROLLS ALONG SAID PATH AND THEREBY FORCING ALL OF THE ROLLS INTO A COMMON PLANE. 